Expression mechanism for automatic pianos.



G. H- DAVIS. EXPRESSION MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC PIANQS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, 1910.

1,080,424. Patented Dec/2,1913.

i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

enonon nownn'rr DAVIS, or ORANGE,

NEW .J'ER-$EY..

nitrnnssron ueonamsm FOR AUTGMATIC. PIANOS.

. particularly to expression controlling nieChanism for such lnstrnments.

In automatic or player pianos it is customary to provide two or more controlling l levers arranged at some point convenient to the operator, by means of which the interpretation or expression of the composition may be varied at will. When but two levers are employed, one ofthem is arranged to control the speed or time of the selection and is known as the tempo lever, while the other is designed to control the r'orcc or loudness of the tone, and may be designated as the dynamic lever.

It is the object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a construction in which these'two levers are arranged in a convenient manner and so located as to require a minimum effort on the part of the operator to manipulate them.

To this end, and to improve generally upon the details of such devices my invention consists in the construction and an rangement of parts hereinafter described, 'and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section through the key-bed of a piano showing my improved expression mechanism attache-d thereto; Fig. 2 is a plan view on an enlarged scale of the controlling levers, the key-bed being omitted for the sake of clearness; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the controlling levers on a still further enlarged l5 scale.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 1 designates the usual key-bed of a piano on which. are mounted the manual keys 2.

3 designates a portion of the piano case.

My improved controlling levers are designated by the referencecharacters 4 and 5 the former being the tempo lever and the latter the dynamic lever. As clearly shown in Fig. 3 the outer end of the er 4 is rovided with a concave thumb rest 4 an near its other end it is formed with two pairs of tip-standing lugs 6. These lugs are Specification of Letters Yatent.

bent over so as to embracethe edges of a.

Patented Dec. 191a.

Application filed Kay 20, 1910. I Serial No. 562.5%. Y

lever 7 pivoted at 8 to the under side of the key-bed as shown in Fig. l. The tempo lever is thus formed of the two sections t and 7 slidably connected in such a manner that the section 4 when not in use may-be pushed back out of sight under the key-bed.

From the inner end o t' lever 4 swing in a horizontal plane thethunib rest 4 describing the arc of a circle abo'ut the pivot-8.

The dynamic lever is arranged immediately below the tempo lever'in the same vertical plane as will be seen by reference to Fig. 2. This lever comprises the sections 5 and 10 pivoted together'at '11 in suchjnmns ner that the section 5 may swing on the pivot 11 in a horizontal plane. the outer end 5 thereof describing the are of a circle about the pivot ll as a center. lly-reference to Fig. 1 it will be 'observedthat the pivots S and 11 lie in the same vertical line thus causing the outer ends of the two levers to move in'arcs of tlie same radius. The section 10 of the dynamic lever is bent ':it right angles as indicated at 10 in Fig. 2 and is journaled in bearings ll'secured to the under side of the key-bed. At its extreme end the part 10 carries a crank arm 13 from which extends a connection 14 to a bell. crank lever 1.5 which is pivoted at 10 fixed support (not shown). The other. arm of the bell crank lever 15 extends in a substantially horizontal direction and is arranged immediately beneath a pin 1.? carried by the damper rod-151 of the piano. .lt will thus be seen that when the outer end of the lever 5 is moved up 'ardly thebell crank.

lever 15 will be rocked on its pivot and will engage the pin 1?, thus lifting", the damper rod 18 andproducingra 10nd tone. it will extends'a connectionQ to the motor governor--01 other de vice forcontrollinnf the'speed ofthe auto- .meti 13 3??! v'tnelclianism.- served hat this tempo lever is arranged to to. a-

It will he obhe observed, therefore, that while theteinpo lever is arranged to operate in a'horiuontal plane the dynamic lever is designed -lor op erative. movement in :1 vertical plane-flt will be further observed that these two levers are so disposed as tobe conveniently grasped between the thumb and first finger of the hand oi the operator. (is thetenipo lever is swung on-its pivot-8 the pivot ll permits the lever 5 ulsoto swing. freely in :1 horizontal plane so that the same relative position of the two levers is maintained thus making it unnecessary for the relative positions oi? the thumb and fingerof the operator to be changed. At any point, however, in the' movement of the tempo lever the dynamic lever may be operated by pulling upward. on the same, with the fore finger, the thumb rest e serving as a leverage point or, support. v

Vvhenthe expression levers are not in use they may be concealed beneath the key-bed, the lever l sliding back upon the lever 7 and the lever 5 being given a quarter turn about the pivot 11.

t will thus be seen that I have provided a controlling mechanism comprising a pair of levers so arranged that they may be both simultaneously grasped between the thumb and finger of the operator and manipulated without changing the position of the hand relativethereto and it is thought that the many advantages of my improved arrangement will be readily appreciated by those skilled in such matters.

- What I claim is 1. In an automatic piano, the combination with the usual manual key bed, of a pair of levers carried thereby, Said levers being normally disposed adjacent each other in. the same vertical plane, and pivoted about axes in the same vertical line, one of said leversbeing'also pivoted to said key bed on a horizontal axis so as to swing toward and away from the other lever.

2. In an automatic piano,'the combination with a suitable support, of a pairof levers carried thereby, one of said levers being pivoted on a vertical axis, and the other of such levers being pivotedon a horizontal axis, and connections whereby said levers serve to operate the expression mechanism of the piano, a section of the second of said levers being also pivoted for .movement about a on, one of said levers being movable about a horizontal axis, and the other of said levers being movable about a vertical axis, said levers being normally disposed substantially parallel with each other in the same vertical plane.

4. In automatic piano playing mechanism, the combination with. a suitable support, of a pair of controlling levers carried thereby, said levers being pivoted about axes lying in planes disposed at right angles to each other, and said levers normally lying adjacent to Genie: of

1,oso,424

and parallel with each other, so that they may be simultaneously grasped between the tical axis and the other of said levers being pivoted about a horizontal axis, said levers lying normally substantially parallel to and in close proximity to each other in the same vertical plane, so that the first mentioned lever maylserve as a support for the hand of the operator in actuating the-second lever. 6. In automatic piano'playing mechanism, the combination with a" suitable support, of a pair of controlling levers pivoted thereto, one of said levers being constructed to swing in a single plane only, and the other o'f'said levers being constructed to swing in a plane parallel with the first, and also in a plane at right angles thereto.

7. In automatic piano playing mechanism,

the combination with a'suitable support. of a pair of controlling levers carried ti'iercby, one of said levers being pivoted to the support so as tobe capable of operative movoment in one plane, and also being provided with a second pivot, about which it may partake of inoperative movements in a piano at right angles to the first, and the other of said levers being pivoted to said support so as to swing in a plane parallel with that of the inoperative movement of the first lever. 8. In automatic piano playing mechanism, the combination with a suitable support, of a controlling lever pivoted thereto, for operative movement in a single plane, said lever being also provided with a pivot at an angle to the first, about which second pivot said lever may partake of inoperative movement in another plane.

9. In an automatic piano, the combination with a suitable support, of a lever pivoted thereto, and a" second lever mounted di rectly below said first mentioned lever and adjacent thereto, said first mentioned lever being pivoted on a vertical axis, and said second lever being pivoted on a horizontal axis, such second lever comprising two sec- "tions pivoted together so that the outer section may also swing on a vertical axis, the vertical pivots ot' the two levers being disposed'in the same vertical line, whereby the ends of the said levers move in parallel arcs of the same radius.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

G. IIOlVLETT DAVI .I. Ilixsox Bovmrv.

this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

, Washington, In C." 

